We hope you can join us! Click here to purchase tickets or become a sponsor.

Partnership aims to put students on pathway to success

HEF and
Hillsborough Community College are partnering to put low-income Hillsborough County Public School graduates on a seamless path to careers in high-demand industries in Tampa Bay. Students in our Take Stock in Children program will be encouraged to participate in the
FUSE program upon high-school graduation. FUSE provides an academic pathway for students graduating with an associate of arts degree from HCC to University of South Florida majors aligned with high-demand jobs in Hillsborough County.

This collaboration also provides additional scholarship opportunities. Huge thanks to
Community Foundation of Tampa Bay and
LEAP Tampa Bay for supporting this initiative.

We are excited to be a part of this opportunity to help our students reach success in college and beyond!

On June 13, the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations gathered at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay for its Annual Partnership Celebration dinner and awards ceremony.
Amscot founder Ian MacKechnie was honored as the 2018 Outstanding Private-Sector Partner. He said "yes" 12 years ago to the Just a Dollar Campaign that benefits HEF and many other education foundations across the state. He also personally made a $50,000 contribution to this year's campaign.
Also honored at the event was HEF's very own Chief Programs Officer Fred Weber, who was given the Staff Superstar Award.

We are happy to announce that during the 2017-18 school year, we were able to give more than $3 million in free school supplies to students in need, thanks to your support. In 2018, we will serve all 166 HCPS Title I schools, up from 150 last school year. The store will reopen for the new school year July 16.

Click here to read a recent Tampa Bay Times column that highlights the Teaching Tools Store.

Since 2002, we have given nearly $28 million in free school supplies to our schools. Thank you to everyone who supports this critical resource!

HEF welcomes Centro Español back to ancestral home

After 35 years, the Centro Español social club has returned home - the nonprofit group recently began renting out office space on the second floor of our West Tampa building. We are happy to welcome Centro Español back to the building! The social club was established in 1913 as the area's cultural and social center. It provided health services and amenities, including a theater, gym, library and ballroom.

If you are looking for a meaningful way to give back, consider becoming a mentor to a HCPS middle- or high-school student. As a mentor, you will meet with your mentee at his or her school weekly throughout the academic year. Click here to learn more or to fill out an application.

Responsibilities include: Working with Take Stock in Children students in their college readiness process.

Time at HEF: 2 months

Who was your favorite teacher and why?

My favorite teacher was Dr. Madeline Camara at the University of South Florida. Her class was the most non-traditional class I have ever taken. We didn't have a textbook and there wasn't a set syllabus. We just read poetry and novels and she provided the information we needed to know orally only. She was so passionate about the topics that she covered that it was truly impossible not to pay attention. Dr. Camara made me fall in love with Spanish poetry and literature movements. After her class, I bought most of the books she provided on her recommended reading list.

What was your first job?

Working with international students that were learning English at my undergraduate university. I helped organize an extracurricular club that helped them practice their English-speaking skills while getting to know the new culture and university.

If you could have a super power, what would it be?

I wish I could fly. That way, I wouldn't have to pay for a plane ticket in order to travel!

What was your most memorable vacation?

My most memorable vacation location was Seville, Spain. It was memorable because I got to know my boyfriend's culture and family. Also, we saw Roman bridges, an Arab palace and the river where the conquistadores would leave to go to the Americas. I loved the food and came back wanting to move there one day!